Improvement in separating gummy and silicious matters from vegetable fibers



I UNITED STATES CHAS. nnnronior new YORK, n. v.1 I

PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEPARATING GUMMY AND SILICIOUS MATTERS mom VEGETABLE FIBRS;

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 47,301, dated April 1Q,1365.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES HEATON, of thecity, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedMethod of Separating Gummy or Silicious Matters from Vegetable and otherFibrous Materials, to be used in the manufacture of textile fabrics,paper-pulp, paper, other articles or fabrics; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,which will enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and usemy improvement. I

It is well known that fibrous substances-such as cane, straw, bamboo,and hemp or flax are composed principally of fiber, gum, and

silex, and in the manufacture of textile fabrics, paper, 8rd, from thesaid substanees,it is necessary to separate the fiber or fibers fromtheir surrounding gums and silicious matters before the fibers can beeconomically used. Various methods are employed for the purpose ofseparating the fibers from their said surroundings. One method is toblow the said fibrous substances from a gun or cylinder, in which theyhave been subjected to pressure, into the atmosphere, in order todisintegrate the fibers. Another plan is to place the said fibroussubstances in a steam-boiler and submit them to the action of alkalinesolutions and great heat,for

the purpose of dissolving the gums and silicious.

matters, and thus separating the fiber. Under the influenec of heat andmoisture in boiling, the gums which surround the fiber of such rawfibrous substances-such as cane, straw, hemp,bamboo,or flex-becomesoftened,but do not dissolve. The said gums remain in a pasty state orsoft condition attached to the fibers,

and resist the dissolving action of the water inwhich they are boiled,except when caustic alkalies are used, in which case the gums and silexdissolve, and in conjunction with the caustic alkali form ahighly-colored liquid, the removal of which from the fibers is verydifficult, and prevents the fibers from being easily bleached.

The object of my invention is to separate the gummy, silicious, andother surrounding mat-.

ters from the said fibers in a simple and expeditious manner, and toemploy mechanical means in part for that purpose. I

I place the cane, straw, hemp, or

other fibrous substance within a tank, which] may or may not besteam-tight, and steam the I; said substances with steam of any pressureuntil the pores or interstices between thefibres have become open; Ithen apply to the said substances in anyconvenient manner a solul. Ition of caustic alkali or its equivalent, which, owing to the previoussteaming process, p p1 quickly and readily finds its way into the saidsubstances,and softens or dissolves the gummy I and silicious mattersaccording to the strength I I of the solution. After thisjalkalinesoaking of the said substances the gummy and silicious matters are in apasty condition, but they still closely adhere to the fibers. Inowpassthe cane straw, hemp, bamboo, flax, or fibrous sub stances,through a series of rollers, or su'bmi the said substances to some othersuitable form) of mechanical pressure, gradually compress; ing the saidsubstances more and more, so to smash outlthe said material in alateraldirection, thus separating "the fibers one fr m; the other, andcausing the gummy matters to run together and partially separate fromthefibers. After this crushing orsmashing action of the rollers I allow thefibrousmass todry. The drying process may be quickenedjby the Iapplication of heat injany suitable, manner. I y When the fibrous massis sufiiciently drylfor y manipulation, the gummy and Silioiousmatf tersare so far separated from the fibers that they can beshakenonbeateuaway, and for the purpose of further separating the saidmatters from the fibres, I now passthe fibrous mass through a willowU orother equivalent machine, where the mass isshaken, agitated, or beaten.By this action the gummy and sili= cious matters are separatedfromthefibersto a great extent and floataway in the form of dust, while thefibers take on the appearance of tow or wool. and are nowready forfurther treatment. If it is required to make the fibers into textilefabrics, they are to be] passed through machinery for that purpose. Ifitjis w required to make them intopaper-pulp, they are to be placed inaboiler and boiled inalka line solutions; but it will be foundthat theaction of the rollers or other mechanical press- 1 ure (after the actionof the alkali) has jrelnoyed the greater part of the gums; and 'silex,and

bamboo, or

that the fibroussubstance is in a much better rating gummy or siliciousmatters from vegetable fibrous materials.

CHARLES HEATON. Witnesses:

M. M. LIVINGsToN, J. P. HALL.

